CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC STUDIES

Terrorist attacks in Mumbai

Assalaamu'alalikum wr. wb.

As we have done many times in the past, CCIS condemns the horrendous multiple terrorist attacks in Mumbai against innocent civilians in various locations across the city last night.

We condemn the use of religion to justify violence of any sort and express our sympathies to the families of the many dead and to the hundreds of people injured in the bombings.

We call on those who have abducted many tourists in the leading hotels to give themselves up without any further violence and hope that they will face the full force of the laws of India for their crimes. 

The reported targeting of citizens of the USA and Britain for abduction is also offensive. It suggests that the kidnappers are trying to protest against the foreign policies of those governments in the so called “war on terror”. But such actions cannot be justified under any circumstances and will in fact be very counter productive.

We are also supportive of the Government of India in its fight against such widespread violence which unfortunately has hit the country on a number of occasions over the last few years.

We call on all other like-minded Muslims in South East Asia to respond in the same way.

27^th November, 2008

Imran Andrew Price

Deputy Director General